Cleanest Cruise Ships In 2024 According To The CDC

When thinking back to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was scary to be in a limited space on a cruise ship. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sanitary inspections on more than 100 cruise ships this year saw many ships earning passing scores of 95 or above. Moreover, 19 cruise ships earned the perfect score of 100 on their inspections.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on cruise ship sanitary inspections

According to the CDC website, their inspections are always carried out when the ship is in a US port. Moreover, the number of inspections varies, depending on the size of the cruise ship. Moreover, inspectors check to see if conditions on the ship comply with public health standards found in the current VSP Operations Manual. Meanwhile, the inspections are periodic and unannounced.

The random and unannounced inspections were carried out as far back as January 2, and as recently as September.

Which are the cleanest cruise ships in 2024?

This year’s choice of cruise ships included some of the industry’s leading brands. Meanwhile, the ships are owned by Carnival Cruise Line, Viking, Seabourn, Norwegian Cruise Line and more. Moreover, the cruise ships are listed below, including the date of the inspection:

• Carnival Spirit – inspected September 3
• Viking Orion – inspected August 18
• Seabourn Odyssey – inspected August 16
• Norwegian Jewel – inspected July 24
• Oceania Regatta – inspected July 24
• Radiance of the Seas – inspected July 21
• MSC Meraviglia – inspected July 9
• Norwegian Bliss – inspected June 22
• MSC Seashore – inspected May 26
• Norwegian Sky – inspected May 23
• Brilliance of the Seas – inspected May 16
• Viking Polaris – inspected April 2
• Celebrity Equinox – inspected February 25
• Norwegian Breakaway – inspected February 25
• Norwegian Escape – inspected January 27
• Explora I – inspected January 25
• Disney Fantasy – inspected January 24
• Celebrity Ascent – inspected January 7
• Norwegian Gem – inspected January 2

What is involved in the CDC’s sanitary inspections?

Among the common spaces checked by CDC officials are the pools, kitchens and children’s activity centers. Meanwhile, the inspections looked for smaller details, including how often the hair and lint strainer in the swimming pool is disinfected, and the temperature of the dishwasher.

On the CDC’s website, they write:

Inspections usually take 6-8 hours, depending on the number of inspectors, ship size, amount of time the ship is in port, and issues identified during the inspection. These inspections are periodic and unannounced.

Last year, 29 cruise ships attracted perfect scores, with 34 ships finishing 2023 with perfect CDC sanitation marks. The CDC also wrote that cruise ships under their jurisdiction are subject to two annual inspections.

Moreover, should a cruise ship sail outside of the US for an extended period, it may not be inspected twice during the year, but inspections will be carried out when the ship returns to the United States.